Cibao

We came here on a cold monday night and the sancocho was warm and inviting. Exactly enough food for 2 hungry girls. Emily made us feel welcomed the moment we walked in. Also really appreciate the buzzer-bathroom system 😂

Unfortunately, I wish I could rate this restaurant higher, but I did not have a pleasant experience. This restaurant has been around for a long time and I use to frequent often when I was younger. I recently visited and met up with a friend whom I haven't seen in several years. Thought this restaurant would be a great place to reminisce about the old days. Once we were done and ready to pay, our bill was extremely high and different from the menu. I ordered the tres golpes for breakfast and my friend ordered the cuban sandwich without the ham and replaced it with lettuce (this is important). I was ready to pay when my friend noticed the cost did not make sense. She noticed the coffee was $3.50ea and the cuban was $10 (at that moment it was the right price) and my tres golpes was $16. My friend told me that she was at this restaurant the day before and got coffee and was charged $1.50. My friend approached the waitress and she said to her, "oh, I'm sorry. I gave you the wrong receipt". I need to mention this place was not crowded. At this point it was us, and two additional parties, 1 had just arrived and the other had just received their food. Yeah, ok lady. Anyways, when we received the revised version, she charged for the coffees $3ea, the cuban $14 and the tres golpes $15. This time I challenged it with a different lady and asked her why did the coffee cost $3? She looked nervous and asked our waitress, who became very defensive. The waitress asked her, "did you give them the regular coffee?", which her coworker looked confused, but went along with it and said"yes". Seriously, you don't have a coffee menu! What do you mean, the regular one? So, I then proceeded in advising her that my friend stopped by the day before and was charged $1.50. So she, very evidently bothered, replied, " you know what, I'm giving it to you for free, OK" I wasn't asking for that, but ok. Then I asked her why was the cuban sandwich $14 when the menu has it for $10. She replied-are you ready for this- "because she asked for lettuce"🤣🤣🤣. I said, "since when replacing ham with lettuce is more expensive?" Anyways, I paid for the bill, left no tip and left. If you eat here, food is ok, but make sure you do not get stiffed on the bill. She was dishonest, tried to get over and was very rude. Oh, and this happened on Oct 26, 2025.

I saw this place listed on the food review site, Infatuation, and absolutely lived up to the expectations! Excellent food. Warm, cozy, and feeling of home in every bite. I got the chicken mofongo and chicken soup. 😋

A very nice setting to bring your family to eat along side with. While enjoying a great meal along with music. I highly recommend coming here i know i would like to eat here again!

No frills place with decent latin food. I ordered the stewed chicken and although a bit salty, it was still good. Good size portions so go hungry!

They have a very affordable Lunch Special that runs all day for only $9! They accept all types of payment but I always use cash to support local businesses. The owner and staff were friendly and the food were delicious, muy delicioso!

Amazing quality and authentic Latin food , great service thank you raiza for your service last night ! Such a great Sunday dinner with friends

The best service! Chanel was so kind and gentle with me and my friends. The food was amazing!! I loved the Yaroa, you're going to have a great time there :)

Honest review I have been going here for many years more than I would care to share. The place has not been updated ever. Yet I find myself going back there and loving the steak with onions and tostones. The truth is this is my non-healthy version as the oil is a bit too much even in the garlic side dip. However, it is what I consider comfort food. They are a staple in the community and still offer some reasonable lunch specials.

Well, that's it for, Cibao! After today, I'm not going back!! There's just too many other better options in the area. I'm sad, cuz I used to really enjoy this place. Suffice it to say, this was the most overpriced, tasteless (and longest wait for a lunch special)!! Plus, they totally hyped me up, acting like they would take care of me. This pic says it all. They gave me a dried up, rubbery, piece of old chicken, with little flavor, that looked like it was the cook's leftovers. Did I mention that the meal was $18, and change?! Oh, and I gave a $3.00 tip cuz I thought they were hooking me up. The rice was very soggy, and honestly tasted like a Rice a Roni gone wrong!! The beans had no gravy (I asked for gravy), and the tostones were dry like cardboard - I asked for garlic' and they were seriously gonna charge me several dollars for a container!!NO THANKS!! The lunch special was $8.00 - I said I wanted a half chicken instead of a quarter so they charged me for the half, but gave me a quarter. GOODBYE CIBAO!!!! NO MAS!!!!

Dominican cuisine as it should be, authentic. This definitely isn't the fanciest nor is it high end looking, what it has is the most delicious authentic Dominican food you're going to find on the LES (Lower East Side) and probably in this part of Manhattan. Everything I had was incredibly seasoned criollo food, and it was all incredibly fresh. I had the Chicharon de Pollo and Arroz Blanco, and Sopa de Pollo (fried chicken chunks, white rice and chicken soup) Everything we had totaled less than $30.00 and the portions were ridiculously huge. If you're in the area and looking to eat tasty delicious and fresh latin food then you've got to stop here.

Best baked chicken ever , super fast delivery time , if this place ever closed down I would cry

Cibao Restaurant is a Dominican restaurant located on Clinton Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I visited Cibao Restaurant with a friend visiting the US from the DR and ordered the Dominican favorite Pollo Guisado con Moro. This dish is made with stewed chicken, black beans, and rice and served with fried plantains. West African and Dominican cuisines share similarities in using rice, beans, and plantains, which are fundamental components of their traditional dishes. And so this made it an easy go-to meal to order. The Pollo Guisado con Moro was delicious! The chicken was cooked perfectly, and the black beans and rice were flavorful and well-seasoned. The fried plantains were also a great addition to the dish. The service at Cibao Restaurant was also excellent. The owner was friendly and attentive, ensuring we had everything we needed. Overall, I had a good experience at Cibao Restaurant. The food was delicious, the service was amazing, and the prices were very reasonable. I absolutely recommend this restaurant to anyone interested in authentic Dominican/Caribbean cuisine. Pros: Authentic Dominican cuisine Delicious food Outstanding service Reasonable prices Cons: The restaurant can be crowded Seating is limited

Daily lunch specials are great values for the portion size. I haven't yet tried some of the more pricey dishes but Only heard good things about them.

Came in for a late night dinner. A lot of places in the area were closing kitchen at the time, so it was nice to find one with later hours. Got a chicken salad and it was phenomenal. Chicken cooked properly, not sure what the dressing was but there was just the right amount of it, making the salad taste delicious while still being light and filling. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive. I took half of the salad home and she brought me a container, utensils, napkins and a bag. Very simply decorated, might not look like much on the inside, but good food, nice staff and they played music at the end, making it an enjoyable experience.

If you're craving some home-cooked Dominican/latin cuisine, swing by and get yourself a chuleta with some arroz con habichuelas or tostones (the maduros are fire too). Will definitely be back to try other dishes!! Also, this post (& the food) was approved by my Dominican wife

My review is based on a grubhub order that was late so I had to reheat my food... if/when I go in person I will edit this review. Ordered: Chicharon Mofongo. Fried half chicken with rice and beans. Small Chicken sancocho. ChicAron Mofongo was pretty good, the gravy was really savory. The pork skin chicharones weren't crunchy enough so it was hard to chew a bunch of pieces. Even so it was a good Mofongo, I'll probably get the pernil or chicken next time. The fried half chicken was DRY! They didn't even add Mojo or lime to help break the dryness. I didn't realize I had to ask for Mojo (mojito, aijito) which is an oil/garlic drizzle that we use to put on tostones or chicken. It just gives the flavor and extra kick. So we were missing that here. Rice and beans were bland, the beans was mostly gravy and wasn't enough to cover the flavorless white rice. Sancocho was tasty. There was one chicken thigh in there and some shreds but it was mostly carrots and tasty broth. I would try them again, but in person, and I'd ask for some mojo and roasted chicken next time.

Service was fast, food was pretty good, the pernil was a bit dry but chicken was great. The prices are very good for the amount of food given. One plate of food is only $9.

Started going to Cibao prior to the pandemic. It's a small restaurant, not fancy. But the food is delicious. My family and I enjoyed a Friday or weekend meal there regularly. The service is friendly. During the pandemic it never closed. I was still able to pick up food for the family on Fridays. It has recently opened for sit down meals. The food is consistently good, definitely recommend.

Mofongo is sooo good! I ate here w my bestie zoe and we devoured the mofongo. so im back again for some more! and it's soooo good again!

One of the best Dominican oxtails that I've ever had. This is literally the only thing that I get at this restaurant. I've had the sancocho soup which was okay. It definitely wasn't the authentic soup that I'm use to. Literally the oxtails make that all the better. Plantains are okay as well. I like mines to be a little bit more sweet then drier side.

cibao truly hits the spot when the craving for authentic dominican food strikes. food that comes close to your grandmas cooking. ive tried several menu items: monfongo, pernil, smoothies, sancocho, oxtail and theyre all delicious and filling. decently priced and huge portions! theyre always consistent and they tend to deliver quickly. if youre searching the area for real dominican food, this is the place to go.

I really like this place a lot. This restaurant has been here since I was a kid and last Saturday night was my first time coming for a visit. My roommate comes here often and raves them for their $5 dinner platter. Choice options of chicken, pork or beef stew. A lot of food fits in that platter so I think thats definitely a good deal. We sat down here for dinner. $11 a platter (which is probably twice the size of the $5 special). It came with a massive plate of white rice, side bowl of beans and a nice bowl of beef stew. While this meal isn't fit for a fancy night out, this is food made by locals and for locals. Yes some of the meat is a bit overcooked, and certain parts of the chicken can be a bit dry. But this is a great value meal for what you're getting. This is a family ran shop and it is true to the traditions of DR. You can tell the regulars love it here. The staff was great when I was here so I have no complaints. Looking at all the food around us, I think I will definitely come back to try other food on the menu! Tip: Fried Plantains $4.50. Hot and sweet! Fresh out of the fryer

Pros: They give a lot of food & the beef stew and beans were really flavorful. I see why this is one of their most popular dishes. Authentic and flavorful. Cons: Chicken was decent but a bit overhyped to me. Perhaps because I'm comparing it to other Dominican restaurants in the area for baked chicken, like the one in the corner store on Bushwick/Aberdeen Avenue and La Estrella de Castilla on doordash who I normally order from. Will finish the chicken because it wasn't bad and is well cooked, just under seasoned. Also, wish there was a way on their DoorDash profile to select between white/ yellow rice. Would've preferred yellow (if available) but couldn't enter custom notes and there was no options selection.

I lived here in 2001 - back 20 years later (2021) and it is still the best Cuban sandwich in the city--great atmosphere and proprietors.

So much has changed in this neighborhood with high rise residence building being built. It is great to see Cibao Restaurant is still around. Use to come here for lunch with co-workers. My usual is the Cuban Sandwiches which are to die for. The pork is just so soft and chewy once you bite into the crusty bread. No other place makes Cuban Sandwiches like Cibao and for $6.50 it's a nice sandwich to share with someone over a cup of Spanish Coffee. Yes, the place looks like a hole in the wall and what I call a "Dive" know to the locals who come here regularly. Just typical table and chairs. Nothing to brag about the decor, but it is the food that's made here that is the best. It's as if time has stood still as I walked in the door and see the same staff working at the counter. Definitely try the Oxtail too!!! Everything they make is good. Will be back here again and again.

I always walk past this restaurant and it seems very authentic, so I decided to try it out. I was planning to eat there but it was a bit warm since there didn't seem to be air conditioning, so I decided to order my food to go. The sandwich I ordered had a lot of meat, but the flavor was just alright. It ended up upsetting my stomach a bit as well, I believe.

delicious and cheap! i for the lunch special with beef, rice and beans. so good and such a large portion! can't wait to try their other dishes!

Don't expect to come to this place looking for a fancy restaurant. This is one of the places that serves Dominican food by its core. I know because I went in with my Dominican friend who told me that the food is as good as what you would find in Dominican Republic. Most of the food in the menu are traditional and savory. The place is not properly decorated and it looks a bit run-down but it does it business efficiently. The bathroom can be a bit narrow, cramped, and small, just don't be surprised to feel it when you see it. At the end of the day, you can't expect Manhattan real estate to be generous to everyone! The staff is very friendly and attentive to your needs. The food portion are huge and generous for the value of its price. The best dish that I like of this place is its soup. The sancocho soup can be said to be one of the best that I have ever tried so far. It is so rich in flavor, ingredients and its viscosity is good enough to keep you addicted to it. Be aware that sancocho are not served everyday. They make different soups at different days of the week. You will need to check on the menu for its day... The best part is that this place is open until 4am and you are free to come in to this place whenever you feel hungry! I would definitely recommend this place for traditional Dominican food!

This restaurant is not a fancy restaurant but, if you want Authentic Dominican food. The restaurant remind me of a Mom & Pop shop. We had Fillet of Sole in Garlic sauce; white rice and red kidney beans. The Flavor was amazing to say the least. If you don't care about the setting, this is the place to go. If you do get take-out. They are slow so, take that into consideration.

The food tasted OK but it is not as good as it used to be. The meat was full of fat in the carne guisada. At this time I would call it an average Dominican joint, as opposed to Outstanding which is what is was years ago.

This place saved me!! I need alot of pernil in a short amount of time. I went to three places before coming here and they were able to help me with pernil and sweet plantains. I am forever grateful !! Staff was Soo sweet too as they were with other customers as well.

The rice is flavorful, a lil mushy. But still good. If my half chicken had a wing, a leg and skin on it (like it should) that would have made up for the texture of the rice. I should not have to request skin on my rotisserie chicken. Or ask where my wing and leg are. Give ppl what they are paying for. I have half a mind to bring this skinless BREAST back for a refund. The cook looked me in my face and put the butchered bird in my plate. shame on you fam. If this is the standard you want to set then understand word travels fast. Especially when you live around the corner.

Dominican breakfast ftw. Don't be intimidated to come here, they are super nice and warming. I love the mangu dish with fried salami and the fried dish. It's a hearty breakfasts but bomb none the less. I haven't tried anything else but I intend to go back and grab some good grub. Also this place is authentic and isn't charging you a crazy price.

Love this place. Have eaten here twice. So many menu options. Fast service. Great for late night meal after a night out partying. Chill environment. Obviously more of a diner feel. Not for posh living. Had the steak sandwich last time and pork this time. Portions are huge!

Can we get the etiquette police to rule that eating pork chops with hands is the right way to go? Because the best meat is right near the bone. This is especially true at Cibao. The giant chops in this $12 platter are perfectly fried. The massive pile of rice and beans is quite good also.

Cibao is great. I usually get the Cuban sandwich. Hits the spot every time. The staff are friendly and the restaurant has a chill vibe. It gets a bit hot inside, I was sweating while eating my food. I didn't realize though because my sandwich was so good. Beef soup is also amazing. Great food with large portions for low price. Highly recommend. Big ups cibao!

Beef stew with rice and beans! SO much food for only $6??? insane. amazing flavor and super fast friendly service. Definitely going back to try more things!

*CASH ONLY* This place is okay - nothing special really. I came with a friend really late at night because we were craving latin food and everything else was closed. This closes at 2:30AM, so we were happy to find something to satisfy our cravings. I ordered the roast pork with yellow rice and beans. The meat was kind of dry, but the beans and rice were good. What I can say is the portions are humongous. For ~$11 a dish, it's a good price. I was full and happy at the end of my meal, with a lot of leftovers to take home. We definitely could have shared a dish instead of getting 2 large entrees. Nice spot if you're looking for a late night snack, but I'm not running back to come here. There's a lot of latin food in the area, so you're better off finding something else. Waitress was super sweet, though.

Great place for breakfast! Spanish coffee was strong and hot. Eggs,potatoes and choice of breakfast meats. Or order one of the Cuban sandwiches and a beer! Good stuff!

This was not a good experience. We were hoping for a hole in the wall experience that we've come to expect in NYC, but instead just came to a mediocre food and truly awful service. The recommended steak was not edible (but they refused to take it back); the Spanish sausage rice was pretty good, as were the plantains. The charges on the bill were significantly higher than in the menu. When we pointed it out, we were met with a sour face. Let's just say we won't be coming back. Try Cafe Habana just a few blocks away! It's amazing and truly a hole in the wall that exceeds all expectations!

Very decent Latin sandwiches, I had a Cuban sandwich which is almost rare to find in NYC. The only thing that was missing was a little more garlic vinaigrette. My girlfriend had the chicken sandwich which has lettuce,tomatoes and mayo. The bread was crispy and the chicken was soft and juicy.

Horrrrriible ... I ordered a white rice & beans with a half baked chicken. I originally wanted the green sauce that most Spanish spots give u for ur baked or fried meat but they didn't have that. So I asked for the garlic sauce & the ownerrrr insists on chargin a whole dollar for some sauce. So whateva we get the sauce, refusing to eat some dry chicken & thinkin it must be some good shit. To get to it an it be diced garlic in some oil &&&& it was cold. Disgusting, to say the least & To say I was livid would be an understatement. What type of restaurant establishment serves cold garlic oil for baked chicken. Nothin close to any type of mojito sauce. The rice & beans had nOOO flavor. Very disappointing. Sad excuse for a Cibao. I wanted half an avocado but I wasn't paying $4.50 for it. I did pay $4.50 for some tostones and that came dry as well. P.s. the owner was very rude. It was my first time there & she had no common courtesy to a potential regular. Now iiii would neverrrr ever again be caught buying from that establishment. And if it wasn't freezing & raining out today I would've definitely got my money back & left but I was hungry & didn't want to have to find something else. Smh. Waste of $$$$

This is a good place for a quick, authentic Dominican meal. They have a pretty good lunch special (rice, beans, chicken, a side of maduros) food is warm, filling, a generous amount is served, so you won't be hungry after it. This the purpose of this place, not a sit-down meal as another reviewer described.

Good food but HORRIBLE service....After getting home I noticed the lady forgot to put 3 orders of beans in the bag. I didn't check my bag there because they pack it so tight that it becomes a mess to check. I went back and instead of her apologizing and giving them to me she interrogates me for 5 minutes for the beans. If the rice want dry I wouldn't have went back for the beans. Then she asks for the bag to check it and bring it in the restaurant. Why bring back food that someone took during this COVID crisis. I do not recommend!

Maybe I just came on an off day, but the food was really dry. I ordered pernil with rice and beans and my husband ordered the chicken with rice and beans. He originally wanted black beans but the woman taking our order said they didn't have any. We took the food to go, and while it was cheap, it wasn't what I expected. The pernil meat was dry and didn't really even taste like the pernil I'm used to from other restaurants or even at home. My man's chicken was dry as well but he had no complaints with the rice. I did. I feel they may have burnt mine, because the rice tasted like it was cooked for a little too long. I didn't like the steamed taste. I wouldn't come out of my way to eat here again.

Where to begin? As soon as you cross the threshold of Cibao you feel like you're in the heart of Havana. Other than the crisp fall air cutting through the al fresco environment you'd think you were thousands of miles south of "the Big Apple". The Cubano hits your pallet hard with the bitter taste of a fresh pickle and soon you are greeted with an amazing savory flavor of a wild boar, who minutes ago may have been terrorizing a beach full of cigar puffing sunbathers. The pork was sumptuous and moist, keeping me coming back for bite after bite. I'm not sure if they churn the butter in the back, but let me tell you, this bread was the best flavored toastiest bread mine eyes have ever seen. I'll be sure to tell all my friends to swing by and would implore anyone taking a trip to "the city that never #sleeps" to stop in for some beans and rice, plantains, cubano, or ALL OF THE ABOVE 10/10

Awesome experience! Expect to wait a bit, as this is a family run place. The food is authentic and delicious. This is a hidden hole it the wall place with tasty food! We got Chicharones de Pollo, Arroz con Camarones and Maduro

Came here on a whim. My friend loves Dominican food so we went here. I ordered a shrimp dish, and it was absolutely tasteless. When I asked if there was a sauce to dump on it, the waitress handed me salt and suggested hot sauce. Rude. The rice my friend had was dry, no flavor. Really sad that we paid so much money for such crap.

The food is good but they're slow, rude as hell and don't like white people.

One of my favorite go to neighborhood restaurants, they are opened extremely late on weekends which always works for me, and though I am across the street they delivery which is definitely a plus,

Believe it or not, I would actually convert to being a commie if only I was promised a Cuban sandwich at least once a week from this place. It's no thrills dive spot that doesn't glaze itself with forged Latin theme, place is authentic. Cheap, Real, and Good. Bottom Line: Quick Drunken Meal Eating Winner

Today I had the best flan and the best coffee in NYC in the middle of the Lower East Side

Had the tres golpes and definitely authentic and delicious Dominican. That in mind, they do cook with a lot of oil and butter (as a Dominican does) so if you're not as used to it you may be in for a minor shock. But in the moment, tastes amazing

I placed a delivery and ordered pink beans, yellow rice and a quarter BAKED chicken when I received my order it was the wrong chicken so I called the place to let them know they gave me the wrong chicken and they were very disrespectful and refused to deliver me the right type of chicken I ordered they said if I want to change my order I have to bring it back to them but I ordered food for a reason and there the ones that got my order wrong ... anyways they were disrespectful and don't take business or there customers seriously. Never ordering from here again . I just needed to write this cause they got me pressed up on the phone .

Food is good, but service is extremely bad. Rude waitresses are expressionless. I believe the one who took our order is even the owner. Went today & ordered two dishes. She gave us the wrong order and argued that we ordered the extra dish. Even though food taste good I cannot tolerate bad service. That is not how a business should be run.

Great food - great people - great atmosphere I love coming to this place. is my favorite place in town! i'm actually craving it right now